Founded in 1824 as the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, the RNLI was granted Royal Charter in 1860 and is a charity in the UK and Republic of Ireland. Queen Elizabeth II is Patron. The RNLI is principally funded by legacies and donations with most lifeboat crew members being unpaid volunteers.

The RNLI has 236 lifeboat stations and operates 444 lifeboats. Crews rescued on average 23 people a day in 2013. RNLI Lifeguards operate on more than 200 beaches. They are paid by local authorities, while the RNLI provides equipment and training. The Institution operates Flood Rescue Teams (FRT) nationally and internationally (iFRT), the latter prepared to travel to emergencies overseas at short notice.

Considerable effort is put into training and education by the Institution, particularly for young people; more than 6,000 children a week are spoken to by education volunteers about sea and beach safety, and over 800 children a week receive training.

The Institution has saved 140,000 lives since its foundation, at a cost of more than 600 lives lost in service.

Memorial in Douglas, Isle of Man, to one of RNLI's earliest rescues: rescuing the sailors from the St George in 1830.

Sir William Hillary came to live on the Isle of Man in 1808. Being aware of the treacherous nature of the Irish Sea, with many ships being wrecked around the Manx coast, he drew up plans for a national lifeboat service manned by trained crews. Initially he received little response from the Admiralty. However, on appealing to the more philanthropic members of London society, the plans were adopted and, with the help of two Members of Parliament (Thomas Wilson and George Hibbert), the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck was founded in 1824.

At the age of 60, Sir William took part in the rescue, in 1830, of the packet St George, which had foundered on Conister Rock at the entrance to Douglas Harbour. He commanded the lifeboat and was washed overboard with others of the lifeboat crew, yet finally everyone aboard the St George was rescued with no loss of life. It was this incident which prompted Sir William to set up a scheme to build The Tower of Refuge on Conister Rock – a project completed in 1832 which stands to this day at the entrance to Douglas Harbour.[1]

In 1854 the institution's name changed to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and the first of the new lifeboats to be built was stationed at Douglas in recognition of the work of Sir William.

In its first year, the RNLI added 13 boats to the existing 39 independent lifeboats.[2] By 1908 there were 280 RNLI lifeboats and 17 independents.

The biggest rescue in the RNLI's history was on 17 March 1907 when the 12,000 tonne liner SS Suevic hit the Maenheere Reef near Lizard Point in Cornwall. In a strong gale and dense fog, RNLI lifeboat volunteers rescued 456 passengers, including 70 babies. Crews from The Lizard, Cadgwith, Coverack and Porthleven rowed out repeatedly for 16 hours to rescue all of the people on board. Six silver RNLI medals were later awarded, two to Suevic crew members.[3]

The work of the RNLI during the war placed considerable extra demands on the service, particularly in south and east England where the threat of invasion and enemy activity was ever-present,[4] rescuing downed pilots a frequent occurrence, and the constant danger of mines.[5]

Nineteen RNLI lifeboats sailed to Dunkirk between 27 May and 4 June 1940 to assist with the Dunkirk evacuation. Lifeboats from Ramsgate and Margate went directly to France with their own crews. The crew of Ramsgate's Prudential (now Trimilia) (ON 697) collected 2,800 troops. Margate's Coxswain Edward Parker was awarded a Distinguished Service Medal for his work taking the Lord Southborough (ON 688) to the beaches.

Of the other lifeboats and crews summoned to Dover by the Admiralty, the first arrivals questioned - reasonably in their view - the details of the service, in particular the impracticality of running heavy lifeboats on to the beach, loading them with soldiers, then floating them off. The dispute resulted in the first three crews being sent home. Subsequent lifeboats arriving were commandeered without discussion, much to the disappointment of many lifeboatmen. A later RNLI investigation resulted in the dismissal of two of Hythe crew members, who were nevertheless vindicated in one aspect of their criticism, as Hythe's Viscountess Wakefield was run on to the beach and unable to be refloated; she was the only lifeboat to be lost in the operation. Some RNLI crew members stayed in Dover for the emergency to provide repair and refuelling facilities, and after the end of the evacuation most lifeboats returned to their stations with varying levels of damage and continued their lifesaving services.[6][4][5][7]

More than 2,500 medals have been awarded for bravery: Gold (150), Silver (1,564) and Bronze (793). Bronze medals were awarded from 1917. The obverse of the gold medal carries the motto: "Let not the deep swallow me up", from Psalm 69.[11] The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum is also given for notable acts.

The Ralph Glister Award is a monetary award made for the most meritorious service in each year and was inaugurated in 1968.[12][13] The Walter and Elizabeth Groombridge Award is given annually for the most outstanding service by an Atlantic 21 (and successors) lifeboat crew. Established in 1986 as the Walter Groombridge Award in memory of Brighton Lifeboat Station's Administration Officer it was renamed in memory of his wife who died in 1989.[14]

The RNLI's lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved more than 140,000 lives since 1824.[8] The RNLI makes a distinction between people aided and lives saved. There were 8,304 lifeboat launches in 2013 and lifeguards aided 21,938 people.[16]

There are 236 lifeboat stations around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. Tower Lifeboat Station on the River Thames in London is the RNLI's busiest, in 2013 rescuing 372 people and saving 25 lives.[22] Five new lifeboat station buildings were completed in 2013.[23]

For public access the RNLI classifies stations as one of three types: Explore, which are normally open all year round and have a shop, Discover, normally open during the summer months and Observe, which because of their location still welcome visitors but may not be easily accessible.[24]

From time to time the RNLI may close a station; some of these are later reopened by independent services. The history of some former lifeboat stations can be found in Wikipedia articles on the places where those stations were. (See also: List of Lifeboat Disasters in the British Isles for further information on closed stations.)

Large boats with enclosed wheelhouses and survivor spaces below deck, which are self-righting and can go out in all weather conditions. Some ALBs carry an inflatable Y-class lifeboat or Y-boat for inshore work, launched by mechanical arm. There are six classes of ALB motor life boats, with speeds ranging from 17 to 25 knots. The RNLI's aim is to provide a 25-knot lifeboat to every all-weather crew, and has begun construction of an All-weather Lifeboat Centre in Poole which, when complete, will save £3 million a year.[23]

Smaller boats that operate closer to the shore and in shallower waters than ALBs. There are two classes, inflatables and RIBs capable of 25–40 knots. The RNLI's Inshore Lifeboat Centre at Cowes, Isle of Wight, has been building lifeboats since the 1960s.[23]

RNLI lifeguards placed on more than 200 beaches around England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands aided 21,938 people in 2013.[16][26] RNLI lifeguards are paid by the appropriate town or city council, while the RNLI provides their equipment and training.

The Institution has operated a Flood Rescue Team since the 2000 Mozambique floods, with six strategically placed teams each with two boats, support transport and equipment. The RNLI's international Flood Rescue Team (iFRT) is composed of volunteer lifeboat crew with a range of additional skills prepared to travel to emergencies overseas at short notice.[27] They have trained alongside other teams for the common purpose in the USA.[28]

In addition to safety advice given in its publications,[29] the RNLI offers safety advice to boat and beach users when the opportunity arises, and to at-risk groups such as anglers, divers and kayakers.[23] The Institution runs sea and beach safety sessions for young people, particularly in inner-city areas;[30] more than 6,000 children a week are spoken to by education volunteers about sea and beach safety, and over 800 children a week receive training.[23] In an effort to reduce the estimated 400,000 drownings a year worldwide, more than half of them children, the RNLI extends practical or strategic safety advice to lifesaver organisations overseas, in some cases providing training at the Lifeboat College.[31]

The headquarters of the RNLI are in Poole, Dorset. The RNLI site is adjacent to the Holes Bay in Poole Harbour. It includes RNLI HQ, lifeboat maintenance and repair facilities, the Lifeboat Support Centre and RNLI College (the training centre). The support centre and college were opened by Her MajestyQueen Elizabeth II in 2004.[32] Specialist training facilities include a wave and capsize pool, a fire simulator, a ship's bridge simulator and an engineering workshop. The College's accommodation is available for RNLI members and their guests when training is not taking place and offers facilities for weddings, conferences and other events.[33]

About half of the RNLI's staff work at Poole. Other locations are Dublin, London, Perth, Saltash, St Asaph and Stockton-on-Tees, while some roles are at lifeboat stations or home-based and include operations, estate and financial management, public relations and information technology.[34]

The RNLI is principally funded by legacies (65%) and voluntary donations (28%), with the remainder from merchandising and investment. In 2013, the RNLI's income was £182.7 million, while its expenditure was £144.6 million.[23] The Institute encourages corporate partnerships, which included in 2014 Waitrose, Yamaha and Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines.[35]

There are 1,100 RNLI fundraising branches[23] throughout the regions served by the Institution, many far from the sea, which may support a particular station, or a project such as a new lifeboat. The Institution estimated their volunteer network at 31,500 in 2014.[36] The largest regular contributor is The Communications and Public Service Lifeboat Fund (known simply as 'The Lifeboat Fund') established in 1886 for civil servants to support the RNLI collectively; the Fund has provided the Institution with 52 lifeboats as well as other support.[35]

The ubiquitous lifeboat collection boxes seen in thousands of retail and other premises around the country are popular enough to have even become the target for thieves.[37] Some collection boxes are mechanical models and have become collectable. The Institution's annual fundraising day ("SOS Day") is at the end of January, but many lifeboat stations hold open days during the summer, hosting displays, stalls and other events, as well as in-station shops which are open full or part-time.

Nationally and internationally known celebrities in various fields are, or have been supporters and fundraisers for the RNLI; for example, the cartoonist Giles was a Life President of the RNLI and donated many cartoons which are still being used for RNLI charity cards and other illustrations, and Ross Brawn, the former Formula 1 team boss, in 2012 raised funds through a business challenge, for a new lifeboat for Chiswick Lifeboat Station on the River Thames in London.[38] Other names include Bear Grylls, Dee Caffari, Chris Beardshaw, Ben Fogle, Daniel Craig and Rupert Grint.[39]

The Lifeboat is the quarterly magazine for all members, containing regional and national news from the Institution, featured rescues, book reviews, lifeboat launch listings and an additional insert for Offshore members. The former Compass quarterly regional newsletter was discontinued in 2014, but back copies can be read on the RNLI website. Storm Force members have their own quarterly magazine.

The Institution's website contains full details of the organisation and its activities including fundraising, lifeboats and stations, history and projects.

Apart from lifeboat crew and lifeguards, the Institution provides a variety of volunteering opportunities. One of these is as "Deckhand" where signed-up volunteers are notified by email or mobile phone when there is a local need, such as marshalling at fundraising events or helping with collections or in an RNLI shop. Voluntary internships in RNLI offices are available three times a year.[41]

There have been a few isolated cases where RNLI crew members (not the RNLI) have claimed salvage[42] leading to a not uncommon misconception that the RNLI is partly funded by this practice. There is no legal reason why crew members of the RNLI could not salvage a vessel[43][44] and indeed frequently tow small vessels to safety, often long distances.[45] The RNLI however does not support or encourage salvage because, firstly, they exist to save lives at sea and, secondly, to become involved in salvage might discourage those whose lives are at risk from calling for help. The RNLI's Sea Safety Guidelines state: "There is no 'salvage' fee when you are towed by a lifeboat, but a voluntary contribution to the RNLI is always very welcome!". This stance was reinforced when the RNLI was criticised for not launching a lifeboat to an unmanned fishing vessel that had run aground. A spokesman for the RNLI stated: "We are not a salvage firm and our charity’s aim is to provide immediate assistance for people in trouble at sea and lives are at risk."[46]

There are at least 60 independent lifeboat services in the British Isles. In 2010 a campaign "Go Orange for Indie Lifeboat" was launched to educate members of the public that their donation to the RNLI may not actually be going towards their local lifeboat station if it is independent.[47]